Keith Haring Hub

Whether gracing New York City subway stations, murals in Melbourne or Tokyo, or lining the walls of the finest art galleries, openly-gay artist Keith Haring made a massive impact. Not only is he a gay icon himself, but his unmistakable work — featuring radiant babies, barking dogs and three-eyed faces — have becomes icons in their own right.

His work is easily identifiable by its vibrant colors, bold lines and dynamic figures. The cartoonish works blend the worlds of pop culture, high-art and graffiti, but there’s also serious subtext. Haring’s art brought gay culture and HIV/AIDS into the mainstream consciousness.

Check out some of our favorite footage of Haring at work and friends discussing his art, AFTER THE JUMP ...

"Throughout his career, Warhol depicted male nudes through photography or drawing, often using gay underground culture as his backdrop. His visual explorations of the complexity of sexuality and desire chronicle the momentous changes within the gay community in the late 20th century,when many young men were flocking to urban centers such as New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans from their suburban and rural hometowns. With the anonymity of the city came the opportunity for a subculture that was both self sustaining and self defining. Warhol himself moved from Pittsburgh to New York in the summer of 1949, and witnessed first hand both the blossoming of the gay community in the 1970s and the beginnings of the AIDS epidemic that battered the community in the 1980s."

Check out a few more images of works (a preview exclusive to Towleroad) that are up for auction AFTER THE JUMP...

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Titanic world record: "Distributor 20th Century Fox said the
James Cameron mega-budget
blockbuster's worldwide cume -- excluding Puerto Rico -- was
through the weekend just $2 million shy of "Titanic's" global
boxoffice record of $1.843 billion. The distributor confirmed that
"Titanic's" historic benchmark fell
as of early Monday."

Scientists hope to resurrect extinct Galapagos tortoises: "Researchers theorize that the nine identified living descendants of the
vanished species are the grandchildren of lucky elephantopus
survivors which may have been taken by whalers as future meals but then
thrown overboard. Those last heroic survivors then must have come ashore
to nearby islands and mated with the native species living there."

Gay All My Children actor James Mitchell (Palmer Cortland) has died at 89.

Gillibrand to step up attacks on Harold Ford, Jr.: "The onetime Albany-area congresswoman has begun to mix it up in recent days, but her penchant for measured responses and attacking Ford through proxies hasn’t impressed many in a tabloid media market that rewards the brash and punishes the bashful.
Several Democratic sources told POLITICO that Gillibrand and her team get it — and are now seeking to augment her communications team with a consultant who will more aggressively target Ford..."

Jamaican shopkeeper won't sell to people with HIV: "Stone responds that many Jamaicans believe that any
contact, not only with someone who has HIV, but even touching something
they have touched, would lead to infection."

Iowa Governor Chet Culver to declare Wednesday Gay-Straight Alliance Day in the state: "The day, organized by Iowa Pride Network seeks to honor student GSA groups in high schools and colleges that work to end violence and harassment of students including those that are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender."

Scientology recruiting star leaves the church: "He says the church failed to deliver the spiritual gains it promised.
He also wants his money back, nearly $120,000 he says he prepaid for services never taken. A church policy says parishioners can get repayments, but if they do, they cannot come back.
Eleven months ago, Anderson met with Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis to discuss his request for repayment."

32 LGBT organizations issue joint statement on hate crimes passage: "This week, we call upon lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, families and allies to take this opportunity of increased media and public attention on hate crimes to educate co-workers, classmates, neighbors, family members and friends about our lives, and about why we need not only their friendship and love, but their vocal support for a more just and equal America for LGBT people."

GLAAD board member dies on Atlantis vacation: "According to sources on board, Spencer Yu, a Los Angeles attorney,
suffered cardiac arrest October 21 while on the Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas, which
was chartered by Atlantis for a seven-day trip along the Mexican
Riviera. A medical team attempted to resuscitate Yu for 45 minutes
before he was taken to a Puerto Vallarta hospital, where he showed no
brain activity. Yu was later taken off of life support. "

Argentina considers same-sex marriage: "'We can't expect social equality if the state is legitimizing
inequality,' said Maria Rachid, president of Argentina's Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgender Federation. 'We now have the social and
political context necessary to change the law.' ... Rachid said more than 20 lawmakers have signed on as supporters of
same-sex marriage, and they believe they have enough votes in committee
for a full vote in the lower house. It would then go to the Senate."

Boston gay bashing case to go to trial: "Darren Morgan, 46, and Howard Rice, 50, are charged with assault and battery, disorderly conduct and civil rights violations, said Conley. Both men will appear in Boston Municipal Court on Dec. 10.
The charges are the result of an incident on June 15, according to Boston police. Morgan and Rice were on Washington Street when the victims walked towards them from a bus stop, police said. The pair allegedly began to verbally abuse the two men, targeting them on the assumption they were gay, said police."

Quincy, Massachusetts Church of the Presidents has its rainbow flag stolen for the fourth time in nine months: "The flag was stolen last August, and again last September. Two
months later it was burned, and this week it was stolen yet again. It’s a symbol of the congregation’s
support for equal rights for [GLBT]
persons."

Pennsylvania court rules in favor of an accountant whose license was revoked following a hate crime conviction: "The panel, in a 2-1 ruling, ordered the board to impose a lessor
punishment on Kevin Allen Ake, who was convicted of a felony in Chicago
for leaving messages on the answering machine of a lesbian he believed
had him kicked out of the YMCA for trying to start a Bible program."

Schwarzenegger parole board appointee rejected for anti-gay comments: "Douglas Drummond, a former Long Beach City Council member, had been
censured by the council for voicing support of Fidel Castro's
sequestering of gays in Cuba, applauding the fact that same-sex couples
don't reproduce and saying about gay political activity: 'How do we
deal with it short of killing them?'"